Costco might be the only place in the world where you can get enough groceries and self-care products to sustain your family for months, as well as a 24-karat gold bar, a diamond ring, a massive wheel of cheese, and a backyard sauna.
All of this is part of why approximately 145 million people are Costco members today. Why shop anywhere else when you can get literally everything you could possibly need and want in one place?
Today, Costco is the 3rd-largest retailer by revenue in the U.S., surpassed only by Amazon and Walmart. So, if you’re a creator looking for an affiliate program to join, Costco’s seems like a great choice. But is it actually? Let’s discuss.
How The Costco Affiliate Program Works
The first thing to know about Costco's affiliate program is that it isn't actually run through Costco’s website. In the U.S., it's listed on the CJ Affiliate network. In the U.K., it’s hosted by an affiliate network called Shopper (more on that in a bit).
Notably, the U.S. Costco affiliate program only pays out when someone clicks your link and buys a Costco membership: You get $3 if they sign up for a Gold Star (the basic) membership, and $6 if they sign up for Executive (the higher tier).
If someone clicks your affiliate link and just buys a bunch of stuff on Costco.com without becoming a new member, you won’t get a commission — only a completed Gold Star or Executive sign-up makes you eligible for a payout.
This matters a lot when it comes to content strategy; for example, a “best Costco deals” post might appeal to bargain-hunters, but it could also drive traffic to Costco that will never convert into a commission for you (because shoppers can buy from Costco.com without being a member today).
Content that answers the question of “Should I become a Costco member?” (cost-per-household breakdowns, comparisons against other warehouse clubs, etc.) is more likely to lead to a commission for creators who are a part of this program. Here’s an example of that kind of content:
How to join the U.S. Costco affiliate program
To join the Costco affiliate program, you need a CJ.com account and an existing website or active social account.
If you’ve got both of those things, you can apply for the program through CJ’s website. You’ll be required to share details of your planned promotional strategy and agree to the terms of both CJ and Costco.
After you apply, your application will be reviewed, and you’ll likely hear back in two to five days.
Costco’s U.S. vs. U.K. affiliate programs
Almost everything online about the “Costco affiliate program” describes the U.S. version facilitated by CJ, but Costco also runs a separate program for the U.K.
Costco’s U.K. affiliate program is hosted by an affiliate network called Shopper. It pays a percentage of product sales (reportedly in the 5% to 10% range) instead of a flat fee per membership sign-up. So, if you’re located in the U.K., this is the program you should join, not the CJ affiliate one. Luckily, there don’t seem to be any requirements to sign up; I was able to make a Shopper account and start generating Costco affiliate links pretty much immediately:
The only problem is that to actually earn commissions off of these affiliate links, you need to pay for Shopper’s premium tier ($39.99/month).
For the rest of this article, we’re going to focus on how the U.S. Costco affiliate program works, but if you’re UK-based, know that Shopper’s Costco affiliate program is available to you and easy to sign up for.
How Are Costco Creators Actually Making Money?
You might have noticed that, despite the U.S. Costco affiliate program not paying out for product sales, there are many American creators whose accounts are dedicated to Costco finds and deals.
Two examples include Laura Jayne Lamb (@costcohotfinds, 3.5M followers) and Anil (@costcofinds75, 227k followers). Both Anil’s and Laura’s bios say “Not affiliated with Costco,” likely because Costco is a registered trademark, and an account built entirely around a brand's name and products risks being read as an official channel.
Even so, both accounts are dedicated entirely to Costco content and average thousands of views per post. So…how are they making money?
Anil reported to Business Insider in 2023 that he earned nearly $5k in income from TikTok's Creator Rewards Program in two months. It was enough to inspire him to create a similar account, @samsclubfinds2, and start creating content there, too. Meanwhile, Laura’s Linktree page promotes both an Amazon and LTK storefront, so it’s safe to assume that she’s earning affiliate income through those programs.
Given that Costco's affiliate program only pays out when someone becomes a brand-new member, this makes sense. Costco content clearly draws a crowd, but the creators behind these accounts have to rely on platform monetization options and other affiliate programs to support themselves (unless they’re in the U.K.).
Is The Costco Affiliate Program Actually Worth Joining?
Information about the U.S. Costco affiliate program is limited, so it’s hard to know whether any creators are absolutely crushing it with this monetization option.
But considering that commissions are based on memberships, not products, Costco’s U.S. affiliate program doesn’t seem like the most lucrative option for creators; Amazon Associates is the better option based on sheer earning potential alone.
The pros and cons of Costco’s affiliate program | |
Pros | Cons |
You have one goal (membership sign-ups) to focus on, not dozens of products to promote | Low payout per action: You get a flat $3 or $6 per sign-up, with no additional payout for large carts, unlike percentage-based affiliate programs. |
Content competition is low compared to Amazon Associates | CJ Affiliate access is U.S.-only, and the cookie window for membership sign-ups is inconsistently reported and unconfirmed. |
Because it's a flat CPA payout rather than a percentage of the sale, your earnings are decoupled from price. | You need an existing site or social following and have to pass Costco's brand-fit review before you can earn anything. |
If you’re looking for other affiliate program options, check out these related pages:
- Everything You Need to Know About the Target Creator Program
- Amazon Affiliate vs. Influencer Programs
- Join the Official Manychat Partner Program
Also, affiliates love Manychat because it makes it easy to send product links to interested people. Learn more with this short video:
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Costco has affiliate programs in both the U.S. and the U.K., but they work differently. In the U.S., Costco’s affiliate program is available through CJ Affiliate and pays creators for new Costco membership sign-ups. In the U.K., Costco’s affiliate program is hosted through Shopper and reportedly pays a percentage of product sales.
In the U.S., creators earn a flat commission when someone clicks their affiliate link and signs up for a new Costco membership. Product purchases alone do not generate a commission, so content designed to persuade shoppers to become Costco members may be more effective than simply promoting Costco products or deals.
U.S. Costco affiliates earn $3 for a new Gold Star membership and $6 for a new Executive membership. Affiliates do not earn additional commissions on products that customers purchase through Costco.com.
The Costco affiliate program can be worth testing if your audience is interested in Costco memberships, but its earning potential may be limited compared with product-based affiliate programs. U.S. commissions are tied only to new memberships and offer relatively low flat payouts, so creators who make Costco-focused content may need to supplement their income through other affiliate programs or platform monetization.
Originally published: Aug 25, 2026
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